Thursday, December 11, 2003 7:15 PMWell. I have decided something. At least for now. I'm going to try merging this blog back in with my regular blog. There are several reasons for this, really. One is that now that I'm using Moveable Type over there, it's easily sortable by category for anyone who wants to read just knitting stuff. Another is that I think I will feel less disjointed, and post more often, if I'm not feeling like I have to split my attention and my life up that way. And, perhaps most importantly, I've realized that the knitting blogs I most enjoy reading are the ones that don't have just knitting content but show knitting in the context of the blogger's life. Maybe it's the writer in me. Maybe I'm just horribly nosy. But I like reading about people's lives and how knitting is a part of them. It's so much more interesting than just reading "today I worked on..." And it's certainly more interesting to write.

On an unrelated note, has anyone had problems with this site when using Netscape? A friend told me tonight that she can't get it to load, maybe because she's using an old version of Netscape at work. I guess if you were having that severe a problem, you wouldn't be reading this... maybe if you have an old version of Netscape around you could test it and let me know? Thanks!

It seems I'm going through cycles with knitting. I don't know if everyone does, or if I'm just unlucky enough to be horribly fickle about my interests, even those I really love. But I do, at least for now. Is this bad? I don't know.

Sometimes, when my life is on more or less of an even keel, I knit fairly steadily. I will get more or less into it depending on the interest level of various projects and my general busyness, but my knitting tends to be a constant, generally in the background, but there. I'll pull it out while watching TV or visiting with friends, or sometimes just get in the mood and knit for a while in the afternoon. Sometimes a few non-knitting days will go by, but not too many.

Then comes a stage at which I'm just too busy/stressed/upset/etc. to knit. When I get a chance to not be having to do something, I just collapse. Knitting is one more thing I have to do, even if it is fun. So I don't. I just can't deal with anything that isn't absolutely mandatory.

But I've recently learned that I can pass through that stage and come out on the other side. This is when I'm too busy/stressed/upset/etc. NOT to knit. I need it. I'm not sure why. It's soothing, it's productive, and I'm more or less in control. It's clear that something is getting accomplished. But it's still always there. Unlike a job or an apartment or a friend, knitting won't just up and disappear one day.

In case you haven't guessed, that's the stage I'm in right now. This started a few days ago, and really got into full swing yesterday afternoon, when I was reading the new issue of Knitty. I need to be knitting, or reading about knitting, or at least thinking about knitting. Constantly. Even just knowing that it's nearby helps. I take a project in to work even though I know it's very unlikely that I will knit on my lunch break. (It just never works out that way. Reading works better in the break room.) I sneak over to the knitting section (I work in a bookstore) for quick peeks at exciting knitting books. I can't wait to come home and knit and read knitting sites.

In a way, of course, this is bad. It's a symptom of my current emotional and physical instability. (I'm sick, again, and I feel like I should sanitize anything I knit before I use it.) This knitting is slightly frantic and tinged with guilt because there are so many things I feel like I should be doing. But I need to knit.

On the other hand, it's great. I'm getting so much inspiration from Knitty and other sites and blogs. I'm so into it again. I have tons of ideas for new projects, and I'm getting all reinspired on old WIPs. That stalled shawl is becoming exactly the afghan I need right now. My purple hood is tripping merrily along. This is great.

Here are the two dishcloths I've finished recently. Both will be headed to a craft fair soon.

I've started another dishcloth, as I like to keep one in my purse at all times. But still, my total is down to 14. Yay!

Remember that turquoise baby hat I didn't like? Well, last night it decided to become a scarf.

As you can see, it's going to be one of those long skinny ones. (I hope. We'll see how the yarn holds out.) And the yarn lends itself to that sort of "chunky" feel, so I'm not trying too hard to keep the stitches even. It's nice to do something "rough" once in a while.

Well, the seed stitch dishcloth is done! Yay! Unfortunately, it didn't come out as well as I'd hoped, so it won't be a gift after all. I'll just use it myself. The stitching was all okay and everything, it was just a little... askew? Sorta. And I'm a perfectionist.

Unfortunately, right after I finished that I found a tote bag with another WIP in my bedroom. (Remember, I said I'd add those as I came across them.) It's a pair of kid's mittens for charity, and I'm just about up to the part where you separate out the thumb stitches on the first one. So, basically, not very far.